Walmart employees across the U.S. are now questioning the company’s newly implemented human resource policy, with some employees who have been asked to relocate even considering quitting.

In May, Walmart ordered hundreds of remote workers to relocate to the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, or other offices in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Northern California. A recent Bloomberg report revealed that employees defied the return-to-office order during a company-wide Zoom call, with some even quitting.

The big debate about returning to the office

During the call, one participant called the RTO policy “a bunch of bullshit,” while others expressed concerns about the challenges of living in Arkansas, child care, increased workloads and the potential impact of the move on their partners’ careers.

A Walmart employee told Bloomberg that he decided to leave the company rather than relocate on such short notice. According to the report, employees who cannot relocate will have to terminate their employment with the company between August 2024 and January 2025.

Walmart’s human resources director Donna Morris told the newspaper that most employees had chosen to return to the office. Employees had to notify Walmart of their intention to move by July 1, and the move was to be completed by October 31.

An employee in the company’s Marketplace division told Business Insider about the decision to accept the relocation offer and move to Bentonville in the fall. The new complex, located on 350 acres, will feature modern office space, dining options, childcare facilities, a hotel, bike trails and several lakes.

The employee, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the order publicly, mentioned that the company offered relocation assistance of $15,000 to $30,000, as well as an additional amount to cover tax consequences, since the IRS considers such payments as income.

Additionally, the employee mentioned that he received a $10,000 loan to cover potential costs related to the sale of his home, although he plans to remain an owner and rent the property instead. Overall, he called the relocation package exceptionally generous and expressed excitement about working with several current team members at the new headquarters.

“This gives me better opportunities for advancement within the company than if I were working from home,” the employee said. Despite the generous relocation package, he expressed disappointment at the short amount of time he had to move to Arkansas after leaving home for over 30 years.

“The next four months are going to be a nightmare,” they said. “I just don’t think it has to be this way.”

RTO Directive: Incentives, Mandates and Backlash

Companies are aggressively implementing strategies to lure their employees back to the office. Data from job search platform ZipRecruiter shows that employers often offer higher salaries to remote workers who move to the office.

Walmart isn’t the only one implementing strict return-to-office policies. After recently laying off 300 employees, Salesforce has mandated in-office work across all departments. Similarly, Bank of America has threatened disciplinary action against employees who limit their office attendance.

Dell urged its employees to return to the office and threatened to withhold promotions from those who did not comply. In May, the company introduced a system to collect employee ID cards and said the data would be considered in evaluating employee performance, rewards and compensation.

A survey conducted by Bamboo HR in July found that executives secretly hope that enforcing return-to-work policies will encourage employees to resign, thereby leading to voluntary turnover. Bamboo HR referred to these return-to-work policies as “disguised layoffs.”

A recent Ringover survey of 1,038 U.S.-based workers who either work from home or recently returned to the office found that 83.2 percent of respondents would be willing to work in-person if their employer covered travel expenses. With travel costs rising, many employees see working from home as a practical way to reduce expenses, underscoring the financial burden of commuting.

As the tug-of-war between remote work and office work intensifies, the future of work is clearly undergoing a profound transformation. The balance between employee satisfaction, company productivity and economic factors will continue to shape the work landscape.